Harry Potter, A Cake... And A Moment of Lucidity

The youngest Harry

A couple of years ago I learnt to respect my limitations. Life had been rather crazy at work... I had started a new role so was having to put it the hours to "come up the curve". To make life more challenging Birthday season was upon us. To put it in context, from the middle of April we have a birthday every other week or so in our family through to October. A time for celebration you may think.... WRONG!!! This, ladies and gents, is where the competition really hots up. The birthday party - get it right and you are mother of the year plus (and more importantly) your kid gets significant popularity points at school combined with post party kudos of people saying how cool it was. Get it wrong and not only do you exhaust yourself for nothing but frankly your kid will have no friends, lose any respect at school and be destined for years of psycho-analytical therapy. Soooooo.... no pressure then. 

This year my eldest decided that she would have a Harry Potter themed sleepover. OK, doesn't sound too crazy... I can do this (bearing in mind I've done fashion shoot parties, designer parties, pool parties, trampolining parties.....) It was all planned... her friends would come for a Hogwarts feast, HP themed games followed by sleeping in the sitting room on airbeds having a Harry Potter marathon on TV. The one fly in the ointment was she wanted a cake in the shape of a Sorting Hat. 

It is fair to say I am not a fantastic baker, my cakes don't exactly rise, they more just "harden" in the oven, don't know why its just a skill. So usually I buy the cake from St Tescos or for the more adventurous requirements gets a "Lady That Can" to do the honours. This year however I was a touch busy, and never quite got around to finding that Lady. So I decided to make the cake. I got up the morning of the party and just got baking - chocolate sponges, probably 8 or so. They weren't epic but I saw them more as building material. I made chocolate butter icing and set about crafting a sorting hat. I chopped and stuck and baked and crafted for neigh on 6 hours with this cake. I even employed wooded kebab sticks for structural assistance to make sure the Sorting Hat could "peak over" at the top. By the time it was all covered in chocolate butter icing with a face applied, I was flipping impressed. This would be Outstanding.

That evening... kids arrived. They were greeted with wizardy music (HP soundtrack) and each given their own cape and wand on entering. the kitchen was decorated with candles for the Feast (Roast Chicken dinner served up in cauldrons followed by traditional puddings and ice cream) and let us not forgot the hilarious game of pin the scar on Harry. Parents had stayed - they were enjoying wine, I had scored a home run and the cake was yet to come. Silence fell, cameras ready as I emerged for the utility room with the giant Sorting Hat of a cake.

The parents faces were my first clue something was wrong. Somewhat taken aback was the expression. The kids tilted their heads to one side and giggled interrupting the flow of Happy Birthday. I was completely confused as to why my creation hadn't brought forth gasps of admiration. And then it struck me as I saw it through their eyes. In fact I had spent 6 hours of my life chopping, sticking, baking and crafting a cake that for all intents and purposes looked EXACTLY like a giant Turd. My assertions its tasted great could not overcome the psychological barrier the crowd had developed on tucking into this creation. 

To say her party has notorious was a mild  understatement, it was indeed talked about for some time... 

So whilst I don't recommend force-feeding your kids cake that will give them horrific nightmares for years to come, I did learn an important lesson. In my bid to be the best parent I could be, I overlooked one simple truth.... my own ability. I am not a baker, my intentions may be honourable BUT my talents and abilities fall short. Recognise your weaknesses, those things you're not good - that doesn't mean Never give them an airing there's just a time and a place. Accept that you can't be great at everything and you know what.... That's OK... because there will be other things you are great at and you they, my lovely friends, are the things you want to be remembered for. 

And in the meantime I'm off to find the number of a Lady That Can because birthday time is fast approaching and the requests for a space-themed "Pink rocket cake" could be a stratospheric, mortifying disaster otherwise....